1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capacitor; and, in particular, to a laminated capacitor in which a plurality of elements are laminated.
2. Related Background Art
Known capacitor elements include ceramic capacitors using porcelain compositions as dielectrics, and electrolytic capacitors using oxidized films as dielectrics while employing electrolytes as substantial cathodes. These capacitor elements are often used in the form of a laminated capacitor in which a plurality of such elements are laminated in order to achieve a larger capacity.
Among those mentioned above, the electrolytic capacitor elements have been known to be able to achieve a relatively large capacity. Widely known as the electrolytic capacitor elements are those having a configuration in which a part of a support made of a so-called valve metal such as aluminum, titanium, brass, nickel, or tantalum is used as an anode terminal, whereas a dielectric layer made of an insulating oxidized film formed by anode-oxidizing a surface of the valve metal support, an electrolyte layer substantially functioning as a cathode, and a cathode terminal made of a conductor layer such as graphite or silver functioning as a cathode take-out electrode are disposed on the surface of the support excluding the anode terminal part.
When used as a laminate, these electrolytic capacitor elements are laminated and connected such that their anode terminals overlap each other and their cathode terminals overlap each other. In general, the electrolytic capacitor elements in thus laminated state are mounted on a substrate or lead frame equipped with respective terminals to which the anode and cathode terminals are connected.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 3128831 discloses an electrolytic capacitor in which a plurality of laminated electrolytic capacitor elements are mounted on a frame (comb) made of a metal having a predetermined form, anode terminals in the capacitor elements are held by an anode mounting part (terminal) in the metal frame and then welded together, so that the anode terminals are connected to each other and secured to the anode mounting part.